Connecting topics from graad 10 and 11 in grade 12 to inprove chemistry performance in matric psysical sciences

MSc (Chemistry), North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2017According to the National Diagnostic Reports (NDR) of 2013 and 2014, learners in Grade 12 did not perform well in Physical Sciences Paper 2 (Chemistry) and did not understand the complex Chemistry content taught in Matric. In this research project, it was assumed that this was caused by: lack of mathematical, scientific skills and reasoning needed to understand Physical Sciences; and lack of understanding and recalling of complex Chemistry content taught in Grade 10 and 11 before they entered Grade 12, as the Chemistry syllabuses in Grade 10 and 11, link directly with the one in Grade 12. To solve this problem, three Chemistry topics (Organic chemistry, Reaction rate and Electro-chemical cells), which were reported to be the most challenging to Grade 12 learners (Department of Basic Education, 2014) were selected. The topics in Grade 10 and 11 which link with these topics in Grade 12 were revised before the selected Grade 12 topics were taught. An IQ test and a Chemistry common test were administered to learners at four schools in the Ditsobotla District of the North West Province before the actual research was conducted. Thereafter the learners in one school were divided randomly into the experimental and control groups. The experimental group was taught revision topics of Grade 10 and 11 before the beginning of Grade 12 topics; while the control group was only taught Grade 12 topics. This was done so that it could be seen if revision of Grade 10 and 11 topics did help learners understand Grade 12 Chemistry better. Before, for example, Organic chemistry was taught in Grade 12, learners in the experimental group were reminded of chemical bonding, atomic structure, valency, inter-molecular forces etc. from the Grade 10 and 11 syllabuses, so that they could link them with structures of organic molecules, reactions between organic molecules and the different boiling and melting points between different homologous groups, which are part of Organic chemistry in Grade 12. This type of revision was also done on the topics Reaction rate and Electro-chemical cells. The IQ test was administered in order to check if learners who are doing Mathematics and Physical Sciences from Grade 10 to 12 had the skills to cope with the content, and the Chemistry common test was administered to check if there was a gradual increase of knowledge of Chemistry content from Grade 10 to 12. The results of both the IQ and Chemistry common test showed that the Grade 10 learners in all the schools had challenges with basic concepts of Mathematics and Science, indicating that they enter Grade 10 with limited skills and knowledge to cope with Grade 10 Mathematics and Physical Sciences. The Grade 11 s also showed lack of skills and knowledge, indicating that there is little progress of gaining skills of Mathematics and Science when they progress from Grade 10 to 11. The Grade 12s performed better than the Grade 10s and 1 ls but as not expected, also indicating that many Grade 12 learners had not yet mastered basic Mathematics and Science skills. Results of the study-showed that revision of Grade 10 and 11 concepts helped learners in the experimental group perform significantly better than the control group and their main difference was the manner in which the learners in the experimental group responded to high-order questions as compared to the learners in the control group. It was concluded that revision should be done in all grades to allow learners to recall previous knowledge before entering a new grade, and this would help them to understand concepts they did not fully understand in previous grades.Master